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New York’s best football player is once again, going out of state. 5-star DT Thomas Holley, who visited the Syracuse campus multiple times, decided to commit to Penn State yesterday. The 6’5”, 285-lb lineman chose the Nittany Lions over Florida, and it was clear for a while that the Orange didn’t have the best chance at landing the Brooklyn native.
He admitted in multiple interviews that he wanted to be part of the Penn State legacy that churns out great defensive players after one another. Holley has only been playing organized football for two years, and his potential is just being honed.  He just led the Lincoln High School Railsplitters to an undefeated 13-0 season that was capped off by a New York City Championship at Yankee Stadium just a week and a half ago.
Holley is now added to a growing list of top New York City recruits that have decided to go out of state, and not choose Syracuse:
2014:        Thomas Holley                       Penn State
2013:        Ebenezer Ogundeko              Clemson
2011:         Ishaq Williams                     Notre Dame
2010:        Dominique Easley                 Florida
Syracuse fans can argue that this is a huge lose, but why? Holley is New York’s top recruit, and never truly had a real interest in the Orange, especially with big-name programs like PSU, Notre Dame and Florida surrounding him for months. It’s not worth throwing a fit about his decision to play at Penn State. The recruiting game is a funny one, and it’s not realistic to think that Syracuse can snap its fingers and magically reel in the New York’s City’s best every season. Does it matter if the Orange is getting top talent elsewhere?
Syracuse pulled in a 4-star WR from eastern Pennsylvania this fall: KJ Williams. That’s been a target area for Syracuse for years. The Orange also signed a big DT from Delaware this past winter, and then Isaiah Johnson promptly became one of the most meaningful members of the D-Line in his first year. Ron Thompson is from Michigan. Syracuse’s secondary is nearly all from Florida.
Orange Nation should not arbitrarily throw a fit when a top-20 recruit in the nation (forget about just New York state) decides to play elsewhere. Syracuse is winning other geographical recruiting battles, and it’s led to success: after all, the Orange will have made three bowl games in four years. It’s not realistic for any college football program to win every recruiting battle.
Syracuse won’t be having a happy Holley-day this time of year. But if Syracuse coaches win other recruiting battles across the country, that’s all that matters.
Posted by: Kevin Fitzgerald
50 responses to “Adventures Elsewhere: NY Native Thomas Holley Passes on Syracuse Football”
I don’t know that we are crying about the loss of Holley. New York State produces few blue chipper. I for one, would rather succeed in Florida. The problem with New York State’s best players is that they no longer view Syracuse as “Big Time Football”. I think some of these kids are very short sighted. You can make it to the NFL playing at Syracuse…just as easily as playing for Penn State..or Notre Dame..or Alabama….if you can play!! The track record for NY state kids going to big time programs is not great as far as even getting on the field of late. Our recruiting is improving, we are making incremental progress. Cuse will be fine in a few years. A big play QB will enhance our recruiting effort…let’s hope one of these new kids is That Guy!
Terrel Hunt is a big time QB.
All of these guys have seen an SU FB Program which was down and out under GROB and mediocre under Marrone. If they choose to go somewhere else then what can ya do!!!
We have had some 2-3 star DL who are stars in the NFL. Bromley was a late bloomer in high school and chose SU over Sandusky U.
We have some good DL now and with HCSS and Mc Donald’s ability to recruit SU will fill any voids as necessary.
The big schools just want New York recruits for depth. There is no way they will displace thier instate guys and hurt those pipeline relationships. Our recruiters need to tell them that. That’s why none of them make an impact, to speak of.These guys like Holley and Ishaq are being bamboozeled.
You can’t lose something you never had. Holley had no intention of coming here from day 1.
The NYCity kids are used to the bright lights and attention and crave more than what Syracuse can give them regardless of our success in sending players to fame and riches in the NFL Kids think in terms of RIGHT NOW Later is not in their vocabulary.
@Chris
We’re losing a redshirt DE John Manley to UNC Charlotte a D11 school because I believe he wasn’t getting enough playing time. I agree that players want immediate playing time. Terry,Russell and I have talked about freshman playing if they’re good enough to do so. with him leaving I know that there is now 2 more scholarships that will be available to players that want to play for Syracuse.
@JB;
read the article on syr.com about shafer not commiting Terrell as the starter after the bowl game for 2014. Competition between all positions is the key. Let the best man win. I don’t see Terrell Hunt as being that person. Sorry!!
Wow, SU fans and coaches are really tough. Terrel Hunt fights to gain the starting job, wins all the winable games,except Pitt, which had many bad calls, puts us in a bowl game and he still gets no support or respect. Also in the Pitt game he put 4 throws on hands in the endzone, 3 of which were dropped. The BC game he was great, as good as any single game performance by any Syracuse QB in a must win situation. If McNabb had that gumption we would have won a National Championship and he would have won a Superbowl for Philly.
but he isn’t a qb who can conted with the elite …at least yet
To me I feel that these kids are making a mistake. I’m sure that it has to be a very difficult decision to make on where to play college ball. I feel that these kids just don’t see the big picture. Here’s why I say this. I feel that every one of these kids mentioned went to these schools based on the name. They probably imagined that if they had success that it would be easier to get into the NFL. Well my opinion is that I don’t think that they will make to the NFL. Ishaq doesn’t get enough playing time nor does he make big plays like a player like Clowney does. Florida is having alot of problems and not one of those players are convicing of playing in the NFL. I know that EO is being reshirted but I don’t see him playing alot either. Now a name that isn’t on that list is Chad Kelly. He is a 3rd string qb. Just wondering how he feels about that. My point is this. At the time of these players recruitment. Syracuse was in need of playmakers and still are. These kids I feel could have come in here and had considerable amount of playing time. Why they couldn’t see this I don’t know. But my feeling is that they made the wrong decision and could of had better careers here. I just don’t see them making it to the NFL like I’m sure they thought they would by going to these universities. I know that they have a slime chance here at the cuse but Chandler and Arthur Jones did it. Ryan Nassib, Justin Pugh, Alex Lemon. Here are guys that weren’t 5 star. They made it and they went to SU. So tell me I’m wrong
A program will not win regularly with only 2/3 star players. SUs history shows that. Who cares about how a 2 star makes the NFL. He probably was the only decent player on the “WHOLE” team. Like this years team. Bromley is this years guy “maybe”!!
HUNT is not div 1 QB!! Sorry!!
Do not forget the kids of PSABUSERU!! The NCAA did!!
The point is that it is less expensive and should be easier for us to recruit in state/region. It is easier to get them to campus on un-officials, and easier to get them acquainted with the program and culture. The fact that we can’t land them despite that is not good. That said, I agree with Dr. Bill in that maybe losing the one big fish a year that NY produces isn’t that big a deal. The last NY guy I remember making a huge impact was Ray Rice, and that’s going back what, like 9-10 years ago? I am sure that someone could give me a long list of valueable contributors, but not at the level I am talking about, the kind of kid who can change a program. A 4-5 star that shows it on the field. I agree with Lou that kids have short memories and a 17 year old going back to the time he was 10 and his sports affiliations were formulated, all he’s seen is a GROB team and Marrone trying to right the ship. Changing the perception will take a few years of consistent winning. We are on the right track. In 3-4 years, the local talent will be banging down our door to be let in, for all the reasons (playing time, media exposure) mentioned above.
I think many PSU verbal recruits may want to rethink their decision. Yes, James Franklin did an excellent job at Vanderbilt, turned that program around, BUT, if I were a player, I’d leave my options open. Its not set in stone until they sign on the dotted line.
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